A new series arrives today on Apple TV+, the police comedy The Afterparty. DashFUN was able to meet its creators, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, as well as some of the actors.
The duo behind the films 21 Jump Street and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, are now at the helm of a new Apple TV+ series, The Afterparty, which the two men spoke to our microphone in company of some of their actors: Sam Richardson (Amiq), Ben Schwartz (Yasper), Dave Franco (Xavier), Ike Barinholtz (Brett), Zoë Chao (Zoe), Ilana Glazer (Chelsea) and Jamie Demetriou (Walt) .
A detective comedy, the series tells the afterparty of a reunion of former students that goes wrong. After the events that occurred during the evening, the same night is told from the point of view of the different actors present, each with their own way of understanding life…
DashFUN: Where did you get the idea for this extraordinary series?
Christopher Miller: No doubt some of the best and worst memories of our high school reunion nights. In fact, the idea of a detective series with a murder at its center came to me about a dozen years ago. I had the idea that this investigation would be seen through various characters recounting their version of the same murder.
That it happened during the reunion night between old high school friends seemed to me like the perfect playground for such a plot. It is in such an evening that we see adults become children again. This leads to gags and incredible situations. We were super popular in high school so we don’t have bad memories, haha!
Phil Lord: We wanted to do a series for all the young people who have been there, at a crazy reunion party. It was interesting for us to explore all these characters who have a specific secret. Drop the masks!
There are parallels with the Lego movies.
Was working on the Lego movies helpful to you?
Christopher Miller: Indeed, there are parallels with the Lego films since in this series, we also go to different places or periods of history such as the old American West, or Space. There’s even an episode set on a pirate ship. So the spirit of these multi-universes is present in this series where we experimented with what we had created with the Lego films. It’s always fun to find new ways to tell a story.
What is unique about this series, in your opinion?
Sam Richardson: I don’t think we’ve ever seen a detective series told in this way, with characters recounting the same event in a different way and with a different cinematic genre.
Ben Schwartz: I’ve always wanted to be part of a detective story. Who is the killer? I love this kind of show. For me it’s also fantastic to be part of, depending on the episode, an action film, or a musical, or even a romantic comedy. Not to mention that I’m a huge fan of Chris and Phil. It was truly a pleasure to be part of The Afterparty.
AppleTV+.
Dave Franco
Dave Franco: For me, it was scary at first to find my place in this ensemble of such funny actors. But I think I did well… What’s unique is also the presence of Chris and Phil behind this show. They are so smart and fun. And they have a knack for finding actors who are also unique and complementary. They also give you so much freedom in your interpretation of the character you are playing.
Zoe Chao: It’s a series that shows that we all see people through different eyes. I think it’s fresh and innovative. We also all have a hidden side of our character. It was interesting for me to really reveal myself during this season.
Ike Barinholtz: I’ve never seen a comedy detective series where every episode is a genre film: action, adventure, romantic comedy, etc. It’s hilarious to see such a show rocking the Fast and Furious 10 in one episode. Chris also brings a unique vision to this show. He was fabulous during the filming which took place at the height of the Covid crisis and in the midst of a political crisis with the American election. We always managed to laugh despite the explosive context in which we were.
Jamie Demetriou: The comedic aspect thanks to the geniuses of Chris and Phil is fantastic for a thriller like this, especially in series mode.
Ilana Glazer: It is obvious that the format of this series,…
